so as you can see from the elevation we're uh we're lower than the adjacent historic structure
that was um part of the design intent as well as um you know in discussions with the historic board
their their desire as well so we're well under the required uh 38 foot right it looks as though the
height indicated on page 33 is the 68 proposed structure will be 29 feet correct uh almost 30
feet 29 foot 11 29 feet 11 inches and there's no roof deck proposed correct um the uh i don't know
i don't have any further questions for mr karakoff i don't know if the board does
you know do you need anyone to adopt your testimony well i'm going to ask mr karakoff
to do that i mean i'm mr uh ushefsky to do that now mr ushefsky is sitting here to my right
would you please give your name spell it how you doing uh steve first name last name ushefsky
o-l-s-z-e-w-s-k-i we're affirmed to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
yes sir thank you mr o'brien thank you are you the managing are you a managing member of 6830-32
ridge partners yes okay did you hear my testimony earlier today during this hearing and you believe
it to be correct and accurate i do yes and you adopt it as your own as an officer of the company
i do yes thank you any questions from the board no no anyone else to testify in this case if so
please raise your hand oh hands at this time chair thank you planning commission thank you chair
nicole ozdemir for city planning staff while the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the
existing single-family residential zoning at this location. The overall goals in this section of
Roxborough are to direct mixed-use development along Ridge Avenue. Additionally, the proposed
use does not greatly increase the existing non-conformity of the site nor alter the
essential character of the neighborhood since the existing use that is proposed to be demolished is
a non-conforming commercial use and the adjacent buildings are three-story with multiple dwelling
units accordingly we recommend that the requested variants be granted thank you very much MI 2021-001
725 6830 Ridge Avenue my vote is yes my vote is yes my vote is yes
it is now 4 11 we'll come back here at uh 4 25.
this concludes the two o'clock list
is there any unfinished business
on the two o'clock list
no hands chair
okay see everyone back at 425
thank you
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Thank you.
Let's see, Jim, Tom, Sharon.
All right, it's 425. I believe the board members are all here. John Kelly, court reporter, you
available? I am, sir. Okay, just want to make sure you're on. Jim is on. Tom, sir. Okay, Pauline,
we're ready to go. Okay, we are all set, sir. You can go whenever you're ready. You and LaKeisha,
we'll wait to hear from you. You're good to go chair. Thank you very much. Good afternoon everyone
my name is Frank DiCicco I'm the chair of the zoning board of adjustment. I'll be participating
in today's hearing along with our board members Mr. Thomas Holloman and Mr. James Snell.
Our board administrator Lakeisha Dandy and our board attorney Ms. Sharon Saleta are also in
attendance. For those of you who haven't yet participated in one of our virtual hearings
I'll go through some of the basics of what you can expect.
First, we will be administering oaths to individual participants prior to their testimony.
Second, we'd like to advise everyone that this proceeding is being recorded
and that by participating, you acknowledge your agreement to be recorded
and that the recording will be made available to the public on the web or otherwise.
Third, for anyone participating by phone, if you wish to testify,
you must raise your hand by hitting star nine and then star six to unmute yourself. I'll repeat.
For anyone participating by phone, if you wish to testify, you must raise your hand by hitting
star nine and then star six to unmute yourself. Finally, to enter an appearance statement,
call Google 267-270-5548 and leave your email address and the address of the property at issue.
i'll repeat that also to enter an appearance statement call google 267-270-5548 and leave
your email address and the address of the property at issue and i'd also like to remind everyone
and the address of the property at issue and i'd also like to remind everyone please do not attempt
please do
to chat testify in the chat any questions and or comments should be directed to miss dandy
our board administrator having said that i will read off a list of 330 list of cases to be
continued number two on our list mi 2020 dash 000214 1825 east pacific street that is the only
request we have as of now for a continuance does anyone object to that case being that case being
continue. No hands, Chair. Thank you. I will now ask if anyone would like to request a
continuance or withdrawal, so please raise your hand. If you're requesting a continuance or
withdrawal, at this time, please raise your hand. No hands, Chair. Thank you. With that, I'll begin
with the first case on our list. MI 2021-001273, 1703 North 29th Street. There's a letter of
support from the 24th Democratic Ward with a proviso. Anyone here for 1703 North 29th Street?
they're coming in now as a panelist you
hello good afternoon uh chair carrie days passed on behalf of the applicant
would you please spell your full name i'll swear you win
Carrie, C-A-R-R-I-E, last name Nase, N-A-S-E, Paust, P-O-U-S-T.
Do you swear, Affirm, to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Thank you.
Please proceed.
Oh, I have some questions for you.
I'm sorry.
Do you agree to waive and stipulate to the accuracy of this application?
I do with one caveat.
i'd like to uh confirm we did have a revised notice of refusal and just want to make sure that
you have that revised refusal which is for multi-family this is sharon we do have that
revised refusal and should the board approve the um application it will there will be a reference
to it and it provides us thank you okay also stipulating okay uh have you emailed an exhibit
packet with the required documents including proof of ownership proof of tax compliance a copy of
the refusal or referral and photos and or plans of the property five days in advance of this hearing
and also have you met with the rco and do you have a letter yes i did thank you you may proceed
great one moment while i share my screen
Can you now see my screen? Yes. Okay, great. Good afternoon. My name is Carrie Nace-Poust. I'm an attorney with the law firm of Fox Rothschild, address 2700 Kelly Road, Suite 300, Warrington, PA, 18976.
here this afternoon on behalf of the owner and applicant of the property, Spencer Flood,
who is also on the call this afternoon. This property is located at 1703 North 29th Street.
It is, here's an aerial. As you can see, it's located on North 29th Street near the intersection
of Cecil B. Moore. It is located in the RSA 5 zoning district. Mr. Flood purchased this property
back in February 2016, at which time and since that time it has remained vacant and was in fact
vacant for numerous years prior to that. This property was previously used for a check cashing
facility on the first floor, with residential units on the upper two floors, the second and
third floor. In front of you here is a photograph. This is the property in question. It's the
tannish color here. You can see here's the check cashing facility I referenced. This was a
residential and up top was residential as well. Originally, my client was proposing to use this
property for a personal service facility on the first floor with residential on the second and
third, trying to keep with the prior use of the property. We did meet.
trying to keep with the prior use of the property.
We did meet with the RCO on May 24th.
When we reviewed the proposal with them,
they were not supportive of the personal service use
on the first floor.
And in response to that,
my client did have a meeting
with some of the community members
and to discuss other possibilities.
Based on the results of that meeting,
my client did revise the proposal to eliminate the personal service facility on the first floor
and change that to a residential unit. At this time, we are now proposing,
let me just zoom out a little so you can see this.
So what we are proposing is that a one residential unit be proposed on each floor
for a total of three residential units this floor plan here you'll see there would be a kitchen in
the front a living area bathroom and then the bedroom in the in the rear here would just be a
one bedroom apartment we also are proposing to redevelop or renovate the facade of the building
previously we were proposing a different type of material the community group asked that we revise
the facade and keep it brick in keeping with the character of the surrounding area so we are now
proposing to renovate the facade again this is the property hearing in question
we did meet again with the community group once we revised our application we received
an updated refusal for multi-family to allow the three residential units we met again with
the RCO at a public meeting on July 12. Based on that meeting, they were very supportive of the
changes that were being made and did issue a letter of support, which is included in your packet
at exhibit 15. We believe that this use is in keeping with the character of the community
and are here this afternoon to request that the Zoning Board of Adjustment grant a variance to
allow the multifamily use, which is not otherwise permitted in this district. If I may, I would like
to call Mr. Flood. Ms. Faust, I'm sorry, Ms. Paust. The letter from the RCO indicates community
input sanitation plan what could you explain what that is uh with all due respect that was not
something that was discussed during our meeting um so i am not certain in terms of what sanitation
plan i do believe somebody from the rco may be here they indicated that they would attend the
meeting uh so i would certainly welcome an opportunity for them to to answer that question
chairman be able to answer where the trash would be stored for each unit oh i'm sorry you just
want to know where the trash would be stored okay well i figured that was a sanitation plan that's
why i was i assumed so let's see so if you look here let me see i'm just trying to see where it
would be um if mr flood could raise his hand he is mr flood please identify yourself spell your
full name and i'll swear you in uh my name is spencer flood s-p-e-n-s-e-r uh f-l-o-o-d
where from to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth i do okay maybe you can
answer that question that i had for miss paus where the trash will be stored um i believe uh
the trash will be stored i actually haven't thought of that um like initially uh but i
I assume there's going to be a receptacle on the side of the building to the left of the building.
And that's where we are going to have the trash for the three units that will be taken outside on the Friday, on that Friday.
All right. Thank you.
Okay. Ms. Pals?
Great. Thank you.
Mr. Flood, were you here during the presentation I had given to the board?
Yes, I was.
And do you agree with the statements that I made, and to your belief, are they true and accurate?
And would you agree to accept such statements as your own had you provided testimony this afternoon?
I have no further questions or witnesses at this time.
Thank you. Any questions from the board?
Would anyone else like to testify in this case? If so, please raise your hand.
Yes, Chair, we have a call-in user, and then 0486, call-in user, you can now unmute yourself.
Yes, Chair, we have a call end user and then an 048.
Call-in user, would you please identify yourself, spell your full name.
This is Louise Branch, L-O-U-I-S-E, last name B-R-A-N-C-H, as in a tree.
I am the block captain and also the committee person for the 32nd 30.
thank you miss branch you swear for him to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
yes i do thank you ma'am please proceed i just want to say that i am in support of mr flood
coming into our neighborhood with his three apartments as far as his trash is concerned
he and i will discuss that later um to make sure that he's in compliance and i've met with him
and he seems to be a very reasonable young man and I'm looking forward to having him in my
neighborhood and and and able to support what's going on in our neighborhood thank you for your
testimony anyone else to testify in this case no other hand share thank you planning commission
This is Ron Bednar, R-O-N-B-E-D-N-A-R. I'm with the City Planning Commission.
Do you have a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Thank you, Ron.
So this property is indicated for residential use on the city plan based on the revised application.
We recommend that the request of variance be granted.
Thank you. MI 2021-001-273-1703 North 29th Street,
my vote is yes with the proviso and correct me from wrong the proviso as per amended application
zp 2021-002095 is that accurate it is thank you
yes for proviso yes for proviso thank you gentlemen okay number three on our list